Apply for Grant – The Black Fund

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Generating renewed prosperity for Black communities of Central Texas

Since only 2022, we’ve granted more than $850,000 to the community.
Grant application opens as of August 1,2025

Grant application information

Policies & Ground Rules

Grant Awards:

A total of $250,000 distributed into 20 grants will be awarded to Black-led organizations. However, we receive over 100 applications annually and expect an uptick this cycle with the need for funding increasing. If you do not receive funding, The Black Fund of Central will offer and provide capacity-building resources for your project or organization.

Grant Eligibility for Awardees:

All grant awardees, with the exception of Committee Choice Awards Accelerator participants, are ineligible to apply for funding in the grant cycle immediately following their grant award. Awardees may reapply in the grant cycle after their one-year award period has concluded. If you are an award grantee from our 2023 grant cycle, you are ineligible to reapply in this current grant cycle, unless you were a Committee Choice Awards winner. Committee Choice Awards winners are eligible to apply in this current grant cycle. We look forward to reviewing your application in our very next grant cycle. See all former grant winners here for reference, and reach out to us via email at [email protected] if you have questions.

Annual Community Forum:

A community forum will be held at least once a year to share updates, announce changes, and provide all relevant information about The Black Fund of Central Texas and to hear from the community. Our last community forum was held on June 4, 2025. Our 2026 community forum date is yet to be determined. Please subscribe to our newsletter here to stay in the know on our next forum and all things TBFCT.

Application Exemption for Leadership:

Members of the Board of Directors, Steering Committee, Staff, Founders, and Chairs of The Black Fund of Central Texas are ineligible to apply for grants while they are actively involved with or providing support to The Black Fund of Central Texas. Immediate family members are also ineligible to apply. [immediate family is defined as the spouse/partner, siblings and children of the leadership team].

Grant Scoring Exemption for Leadership:

Staff, Founders, Executive Director and Campaign Chairs are not permitted to participate in the grant scoring process. However, they may raise concerns about inequities or challenges to the Grants Chairs for consideration. Additionally, they are welcome to participate in the Committee Choice Awards Accelerator picking process to address any gaps that may emerge during the grant scoring cycle.

Commitment to Equity:

We aim to be accountable and firmly committed to ethical practices, removing obstacles that contribute to systemic inequity.

Grant Scoring Committee Details

The Grant Scoring Committee is comprised of a cross section of the Black community, and serves in a volunteer capacity. During the process committee members receive guidance and training on non-bias practices of reading, comprehending and scoring grant applications. Once individuals have scored applications for their issue areas, the scores are tallied for a collective total score for each application.

Eligibility Criteria

Location: Nonprofit organizations must operate in one the 6-county Central Texas region: Travis, Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, and Williamson counties.
Tax Status: Organizations must be tax-exempt under Sections 501(c)(3) or 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code, a fiscally sponsored project or be a government unit.
Grant Eligibility for Awardees: 2023 Awardees (except Committee Choice Awards participants) are ineligible for funding in this current grant cycle immediately following their award.
Non-Lobbying Advocacy: Organizations that engage in non-lobbying advocacy (e.g., public education, community organizing, policy research) are eligible.
Strategic Alignment: Eligible programs should focus on initiatives that align with the strategies of The Black Fund of Central Texas.
Faith-Based Entities: Eligible programs focus on inclusive community serving capacities, delivering direct community benefits; excluding religious instruction, religious extremism, worship or increasing church memberships.

Restrictions

Endowment funds, scholarships, fundraising events, family foundations, umbrella funding organizations, individuals, or organizations with discriminatory practices.
TBFCT Staff, Board members, Steering Committee, Founders, and Chairs of The Black Fund, along with their immediate family, are ineligible to apply while actively involved with The Black Fund.
All grant awardees, with the exception of Committee Choice Awards Accelerator participants, are ineligible to apply for funding in the grant cycle immediately following their grant award. Awardees may reapply in the grant cycle after their one-year award period has concluded. If you are an award grantee from our 2023 grant cycle, you are ineligible to reapply in this current grant cycle, unless you were a Committee Choice Awards winner. We look forward to reviewing your application in our very next grant cycle. See all former grant winners here for reference, and reach out to us via email at [email protected] if you have questions.
Organizations and/or individuals who have engaged in actions that have caused harm to The Black Fund of Central Texas—such as slander, defamation, incitement of violence, or the intentional spread of false information are not eligible to apply. This does not include constructive criticism, which is both valued and welcomed. Applications submitted by those currently deemed ineligible will be automatically disqualified. If you have questions about your eligibility, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Timeline

FAQ

Have Questions?
Find quick answers to the most common questions about our grants, programs, and application process. Visit our FAQ page for details that can help you get started with confidence.

Applying for a grant

The application process for the Foundation is accessible through our online grant portal. All available grant opportunities will be visible online (please refer to our timeline section above for active grant cycles). If you have any trouble logging in or creating an account please contact [email protected].

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Grant application information

Applying for a grant

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